Big Sky Country
by donothaveagentleheart
Summary: Kate Beckett is left to run her family's ranch alone. Short on money, she is being pressured from all sides to sell out. Rick Castle, mystery writer extraordinaire, finds his inspiration lacking and his career in a slump. He sets out to pen the greatest cowboy epic of all time – he just has to find the inspiration, first. The Beckett Ranch seems like just the place to do it.
1. Chapter 1

**_DISCLAIMER:_ I do not own Castle or its characters and am not affiliated with ABC or Andrew Marlowe and any related parties in any way.**

**_A/N:_ Hey all! This is a story that was originally published about a year and a half ago but was never completed. I've recently re-discovered my inspiration for it and have decided to publish it again and continue! I know that this is not every reader's cup of tea, but I would encourage you to at least give it a try!**

**_SUMMARY:_ Kate Beckett is left to run her family's ranch alone. Short on money, she is being pressured from all sides to sell out. Shorthanded and unable to hire any more help, she finds herself at a crossroads. Rick Castle, mystery writer extraordinaire, finds his inspiration lacking and his career in a slump. A genre change is what he needs, and he sets out to pen the greatest cowboy epic of all time – he just has to find the inspiration, first. The Beckett Ranch seems like just the place to do it.**

The dawn came with fog and mist, blanketing the valleys of northern Montana in a damp and stagnant stillness. Reaching over, Kate switched off her shrill alarm, craning her neck to look at the time. 6:00 AM. She sighed and stretched, sitting up slowly. Waking up without the warm smell of coffee wafting through the house or the comforting sound of her father bustling about downstairs was still something Kate was getting used to, even with him having been gone for a month. She flinched as her bare feet hit the chilled wood of the floor as she got out of bed.

As she heard the rumble of a car engine, she made her way to the window, pulling back the white linen of the curtains to see Javier and Kevin drive by in the truck, going towards the barn. But even after they stopped, the sound of an engine remained, and Kate's eyes flicked down to the yard below, taking in a sight that made her stomach tense with trepidation. Tom Demming's huge black pick-up – absurdly raised and over-powered – sat idling in the roundabout driveway in front of the small farmhouse, its exhaust billowing like smoke in the frigid morning air. With a noise of disgust, she moved away from the window to get dressed.

In the bathroom, she quickly brushed her teeth and halfheartedly combed through her unruly brunette tresses before moving to get dressed. Hurriedly, she pulled on yesterday's jeans and yanked a belt and a pair of warm woolen socks on. As she padded down the stairs she haphazardly tucked the Henley she'd slept in into the waistband of her faded brown denims. Yanking open the front door, Kate emerged on to the covered wooden porch to be met with the site of Demming slithering out of his truck in a brand new suit. The contrast was laughable.

Javi and Ryan had saddled up and were approaching slowly on horseback, looking to her for instructions. She nodded at them, letting them know that she'd handle it. "Demming." She said as she turned and grabbed a heavy barn coat from the hook by the door, shrugging it on. Facing the man as he paused at the bottom of the porch steps, she continued, "I was under the impression that you didn't come crawling out from under your rock at such early hours."

The man chuckled as he began to climb the steps, though the look on her face made him pause. "You're a hard woman to get a hold of, Kate." He grinned at her, licking his lips and spitting a wad of chewing tobacco at her feet.

"I don't make it a point to be found by the likes of you." Her voice was quiet, "Your father send you to do his dirty work again?"

"What I'm doing is best for all of us, Katie. You can't run this place all by your lonesome. My price is more than fair and you know it!" He leaned casually against the banister, brushing an imaginary piece of lint from his lapel.

"What I _know_ is that your daddy dressed you up in a monkey suit and sent you to harass me until I sell this place." Kate leaned forwards, arms crossed, "I got news for you – I will never sell my ranch."

Demming rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he smiled condescendingly at her, "Your father left this place a mess, Kate. You and your boys can't fix it. It can't be done. Let me take it off your hands."

"Why don't you leave it up to me to decide what I can and can't do, Tom." Kate said, "And don't you dare talk about my father." She was about to continue when he took another step towards her.

"You know, my offer from last month still stands. You don't want to sell this place, and I want it. I want you, too. If you'd just say yes, we could both get what we want." Demming looked up at her with something that was supposed to be boyish charm, "You've been running wild far too long, Kate – you need someone to tame you."

"Really? When all else fails you ask me to marry you?" Kate laughed in his face, "I will never let this place go to likes of you." She stood there on the porch as still as stone, her green eyes burning with a fiery rage. "Get the hell off of my property, Demming." Her voice was low and menacing. Even when the man took another step up, bringing him mere inches from the woman, she refused to back down.

"C'mon, Katie, you know you can't run this whole show by yourself. Come out with me and we'll talk about it over drinks." His voice was sweet like syrup with its southern twang, soured by the tobacco on his breath and the leering grin he gave her as his hands snaked around her waist, "Without your daddy around, you don't have a chance…" He gripped her backside harshly as he tugged her towards him, "Sell out, sweetheart. You ought to just let me take care of you right."

"Get your hands off of me!" Kate spat as she shoved him away, watching as he fumbled to catch his balance on the railing before he could fall, "You're damn lucky I don't call the sheriff on you." She turned to go inside, but not before he caught her wrist in a vice-like grip, pulling her back to his front.

"You had best be cautious how you speak to me, Kate." He spoke menacingly into her ear, "All by yourself out here, nothing around for miles, you never know what could happen to a pretty little lady like you – " She lashed out, her fist catching him squarely in the nose, sending him and his new suit careening down the porch steps and on to the muddy pathway below.

"That supposed to be a threat, you son of a bitch?" Her body was tense, ready for him to come at her. She wished he would – she wanted to hit him again.

Demming stood, his face red with anger underneath the blood now gushing from his nose. Mud covered his new suit. "You little cunt!" He spat out a mouthful of bloody dip and made it up the first step before the sounds of two throats being cleared behind him made him pause. Turning, he saw a pair of men on horseback.

Kate glanced up and nodded to her boys. Esposito and Ryan leaned casually on the horns of their saddles. Kevin tipped the brim of his hat to the man poised halfway up the stairs and Javier conspicuously adjusted the hunting rifle slung across his lap. Demming paled visibly. He whipped around to glare at Kate once more, the barbed words slightly slurred as they left his swelling lips, "You'll get what's coming to you, woman – I'll make sure of it. This isn't over." With that, he turned and made his way to his Porsche that – Kate noted with satisfaction – was covered in mud from the miles of unpaved roads he'd had to navigate to find the Beckett Ranch. With the slam of a door and the roar of an engine, he screeched out of the driveway and through the post-and-rail gates.

With a sigh, Kate ran her left hand through her hair, glancing at the scraped knuckles on the other before looking to her two ranch hands. "Thanks, boys." She said, turning to grab the last muddy pair of boots on the porch. She sat on the top step as she pulled them on and frowned as she saw them staring at her. "What is it?" She asked, standing and grabbing her hat from its peg.

"He's getting worse, boss." The shorter man began, taking off his hat as he spoke.

"Come on, Ryan. Not that I don't appreciate the assistance, but I can handle Tom Demming." She scoffed, smirking as she shook her head. The smile fell from her face when she caught the expressions on their faces. "Javi?" She asked, standing up.

"Yeah, you'd have knocked him on his ass. But we know you've been worried, since Jim left." The large man spoke as he readjusted the rifle to hang on a strap over his shoulder.

"Look, everything is going to be fine. We've got spring coming. The herd will get moved to the lowlands and the crop of foals can be sold. We'll make it – we always do, alright?" Kate spoke, her mild annoyance at their protectiveness assuaged by their brotherly concern. When the cautious looks did not leave their faces, she sighed, "What is it now?"

"Well, we know how you've been distracted lately…" Javier began, scratching the back of his neck as he struggled to get the words out.

"What with everything that's been going on, we thought you must've forgotten about the arrangement your father made with Sheriff Montgomery before he left." Ryan added, looking from Javier to Kate with a pointed look.

With a sigh, Javier spat it out, "The new guy's here today, we just got back from picking him up and…"

She shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had completely forgotten about the man her father had arranged to come and pick up the slack once he was gone with the help of the local sheriff. He'd said it in passing as she was helping him pack and she had not thought of it since. "And?" She prompted, looking between her two friends, "And… what about him?"

"He's uh… He's definitely not a local." Ryan said, sitting up, "Complained the whole way back from the train station about us not having an airport around for convenient traveling."

"He's also not the best with the horses either." Esposito said, jerking his chin back to gesture behind him. From between the two horses stepped a tall man impeccably dressed in brand new Wranglers and shiny alligator boots, making sure to give the beasts a wide and suspicious berth.

"We'll… uh, we'll go get started on the chores, boss. Leave you two be." Kevin smirked and turned his horse, Javier following, conveniently not noticing the pleading looks Kate was sending them.

The newcomers' eyes were wide, eyebrows raised in an eager, interested expression as his eyes skittered all around him, landing and staying on her. He had obviously seen the confrontation and now looked at her with something akin to disbelief. On her part, Kate was working to hide her own disbelief at who had just waltzed on to her ranch out of nowhere. This was Richard Castle – _the _Richard Castle – (she would recognize that face anywhere, she was sure) and he had somehow ended up in northern Montana, miles from town, on her doorstep. His words brought her out of her reverie.

"Miss Beckett, it's truly a pleasure. You've got a mean right hook." He held out his hand as he reached her, "I'm Rick, Rick Castle."

Her face concealing her astonishment, she placed her bruised hand in his, giving it a firm shake as he stared at her bloody knuckles. "Mr. Castle, I'm sorry to be so blunt, but what are you doing here?" Kate's brow was furrowed as she pulled on her gloves and looked at him curiously.

Castle smirked as he took in her obvious confusion. He tipped his stiff new hat to her and announced with pride, "You're looking at your newest ranch hand." Much to his chagrin, Kate threw her head back and laughed loudly as if it were the funniest joke she'd ever heard.

"You have got to be kidding me! You, Richard Castle, mystery writer _extraordinaire _are my new ranch hand?" Kate rolled her eyes at the stunned look on his face, "Yes, I know who you are, Mr. Castle. Despite what you may believe, we do keep up with the news, even all the way out here. Really, is this some kind of joke? What are you doing on my ranch?" Kate examined him up and down with a skeptical look on her face, taking all of him in, from his shiny boots to his perfectly clean hat.

"Well, you see, I'm friends with the Chief of Police back in New York and he said that an old army buddy of his was working as a Sheriff out here, your Sheriff Montgomery, I believe." He explained, though the look of confusion never left Kate's face.

"Yes," She said slowly, "But why are you _here_?"

"I needed something new in my life. I'd been shadowing some homicide detectives in New York but nothing really grabbed me anymore. So I woke up one morning and had an epiphany – I needed a completely new start, something fresh and exciting. So when I told the Chief about my troubles over a game of poker, he put me in contact with Roy Montgomery, who told me that he knew just the place where I could get a real taste of the west. So I packed my bags and here I am. I'm no longer 'Rick Castle, mystery writer extraordinaire'." He added a pause for dramatic effect and spread out his hands with a flourish. "I'm 'Rick Castle, western renegade'. I'm going to write the greatest cowboy epic ever penned!"

For a moment, Kate was silent. And then she shook her head. "No," Was all she said before brushing past him and out into the yard.

Rick paused, a look of disbelief on his face, before turning and rushing after her. "What do you mean, 'no'?" He asked, cutting her off as she made her way to the barn.

Kate stopped, hands on her hips as she cocked one to the side, craning her neck to look up at him from under the brim of her hat, "Mr. Castle, I'm running a business, not a dude ranch. I'm sure you could find somewhere else to conduct your…" She said her last word with unveiled contempt, "… _research._"

"That's just it! I can't get an authentic look at what it is really like to run a true ranch if I'm paying for the tourist experience!" He implored, looking at her desperately, sweeping off his hat as an afterthought.

"This ranch has been in my family for over a hundred years, Mr. Castle. I am not about to have it be exploited as the plot of whatever dime store novel you dream up next!" Kate stepped around him and continued to purposefully walk towards the barn, gravel crunching under the soles of her worn boots.

"_Dime store!" _Castle repeated, outraged to a nearly comical point (though what he had been churning out as of late could probably be described as such), "What the hell is that supposed to mean!" He raised his voice to call out to her, "I will have you know that my writing has made me millions, Ms. Beckett!" Which somehow sounded like a better defense before he said it aloud.

"Well then I hope you've invested it wisely, what with your apparent dry spell!" She shouted back over her shoulder, not even turning to face him before she disappeared into the barn.

"I've been on the best seller's list twelve times…" He mumbled to himself, frowning darkly as he stared at her retreating figure. After a moment, he followed her, stepping into the musty warmth of the barn.

The wooden structure was awash in yellow-orange light and the snuffling of horses eating their morning hay filled the air. Kate was running a brush over one of the horses while it continued to eat. Rick paused as it swished its tail, stopping a few yards away from the stall and standing absolutely still while the woman bustled past him into what he could see from the hanging saddles and bridles was the tack room. Heaving a saddle off of its stand, she carried it over, placing the plush wool blanket squarely over the horse's back before setting the heavy equipment over its withers. Reaching under its belly to grab the sheepskin-padded cinch, she looked over at him as she began doing it up. "You got something to say?" She asked, coming to lean against the stall door on her forearms, one eyebrow quirked questioningly up at him.

Rick stared right back at the woman, refusing to give up. He'd thought it would have been just like his stint at the NYPD. Sign a few papers, pull a few strings, annoy a few people, and he'd be in – but apparently that wasn't the case here. Slowly, he approached her. Though he'd been waiting behind Ryan and Esposito, his view mostly blocked by the horses large bodies, he'd known from the way that the man, Demming, had spoken to her, that she couldn't have been an unattractive woman. And when he finally saw her for the first time as he craned his neck for a look, her face screwed up in anger as he forced her against him, Rick knew that she most definitely was not unattractive. In fact, as she flew that right hook straight into Demming's face, he'd known that she was downright beautiful. And beautiful women were Richard Castle's forte. Sauntering towards her with what he thought was a cowboy-like swagger, he turned on the charm, smirking devilishly down at her. "We need each other's help. All I'm asking for is a chance, _Kate_."

The way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine, not that she'd ever let on that his act was actually affecting her. She smirked at him as he leaned forwards, their faces slowly coming closer. And just as their lips were about to meet, her fingers found his ear and twisted mercilessly, turning him into a writhing mess as he squealed, "Ah! Ah! Uncle, uncle!" She loosened her grip and let go, letting him stand and rub his ear. "Jesus Christ, Beckett!" He looked like a chastised little boy and she couldn't help but smile.

"You're lucky Javi and Kevin didn't see you put the moves on me. You'd be run straight outta Montana." She smirked at the look on his face and the way he glanced over his shoulder. Her voice grew stern, "You wanna stay so bad, writer boy? You're going to work for it. You've got one day to convince me you're worth keeping around."

Heading back into the tack room, she pulled another, larger, saddle off of its rack, moving over to Castle, who was looking at her slyly. "It's too bad, you know. It would've been great." He grinned as she rolled her eyes and leaned towards him.

"You have _no_ idea…" Kate crooned into his ear, dropping the full weight of the saddle into his arms, nearly sending him to the ground with the unexpected burden. She sauntered out of the barn, saying something about grabbing something from the truck, but all Rick could hear was his blood rushing in his ears as he stared at the sway of her hips in those tight, worn jeans, the way her wild mane of hair tumbled over her shoulders and – He sighed and shook his head. She was his boss now, sort of. Off limits. Absolutely not… And somehow that just made him want her more.

**_A/N:_ Let me know what you think, if you feel like it! Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Castle or its characters and am not affiliated with ABC or Andrew Marlowe and any related parties in any way.**

**_A/N:_**** Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Every one is appreciated.**

Behind the large pick-up truck and safely out of sight, Kate slumped against the side of the cab, letting out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. First Demming comes crawling around and now she was stuck with an inexperienced ranch hand that just happened to be Richard Castle. God, was she fucked or what? She could almost laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Or cry. She stood swaying between the two emotions; hand bracing her forehead against the impending headache she knew would be arriving soon. Suddenly, a shout from the barn drew her attention, and she bolted inside. Castle was huddled in a crouch against the far wall, the horse she'd been tacking up – a pretty dappled grey mare – snuffling at the hat on his head. "Beckett!" He called out to her, hands fumbling for his Stetson as the mare managed to get the brim between her velvety lips, "Beckett, it's attacking me!"

Kate stopped laughing at him long enough to whistle softly. The mare looked up at her, dainty ears pricked forward, and tossed her head, dropping Rick's hat into the dirt as she began to walk over. Smiling softly at the big mare, Kate stroked the blaze that ran down the animal's face with one hand while she dug in her pocket with the other. She cooed softly at the horse as she produced a dusty peppermint, which was taken quickly without complaint.

"She finished her breakfast. She's just being pushy because she has nothing to eat." Kate told Castle, who had slowly stood – no worse for wear save for a bit of dust on his new outfit. He was staring at her in trepidation as she walked towards him, the horse following, nudging her arm. "_Her _name is Denali, and she's harmless." Kate stopped, and so did Denali, both woman and horse holding expressions of curiosity on their faces as Castle refused to move.

"Harmless?" He exclaimed incredulously, "Horses are not _harmless. _They are two tons of _danger._"

Beckett rolled her eyes at his histrionics. "Horses don't weigh two thousand pounds. And if you're so scared of horses, why are you on a _horse ranch_, Mr. Castle?" She asked, crossing her arms.

If he was being honest with himself, Rick had not taken into account his fear of the animals when he'd gotten the bright idea to write a western into his head. He couldn't help himself, after he'd stolen that police horse in college… Well, he was pretty sure both he _and _the horse were left emotionally scarred.

When Kate got tired of waiting for him to articulate a proper response, she lunged forward and grabbed his wrist, dragging him towards her horse with what he found was a surprising strength. "You may be afraid of horses, Castle, but I still need a ranch hand." Kate said as he tried to pull away from her as she lead him towards the mare who had paused to nibble at the loose straw littering the floor.

"No, Beckett, it's really okay. I don't have to ride, I can do other things." Castle reasoned desperately as Denali raised her head to stare at the odd pair, "Beckett, please. Kate, no, no – " Beckett had thrust his hand beneath the mare's mouth, palm up, and he let out a childish whimper as soft lips snuffled at him, a warm tongue poking out to lick the skin. Kate let go of his wrist and deposited another peppermint in his hand, and Denali softly picked it up, crunching it soundly. Rick visibly relaxed, almost enjoying the softness of the horse's fur as he tentatively ran a hand down her neck. Turning to Kate, he saw a brilliant and knowing grin on her face. Suddenly, Castle decided he'd face a hundred hungry horses if he could make her smile like that again.

But Kate's triumphant grin faded as the reality of the situation once again set in. "Do you even know how to ride?" She asked him, leading Denali into her stall.

"Sure I do. I rode when I was a kid." Castle said, smiling confidently, chest puffed a bit with pride. Though it deflated a bit when she rolled her eyes.

"Summer camp or on vacation?" She deadpanned as she walked by holding a bridle, the look on her face so infuriatingly smug that it sent a feeling of dread through him.

"…Summer camp?" He said it like a question, watching as she shook her head and ran a gloved hand over her face.

"This isn't a summer camp, Mr. Castle." Kate said as she moved back into the tack room.

… It definitely was not summer camp, Castle concluded as he sat next to Kevin on the top of the pen. This was way, way cooler. Kate sat astride Denali, walking through the milling group of cattle. The boys provided a running commentary to what was going on.

"Our main business is in horses, but we keep a small herd of cattle around, only about 300 head." Esposito said, walking his horse up to halt below where the two men sat on the high rail, pointing to the dense mass of brown, black, tan, and white animals about half a mile out in the green pasture beyond the fence.

"We don't raise just any cattle, either." Ryan added, "Beckett's father? He inherited some of the best stock in Montana. Grade-A beef by the ton."

"We leave 'em be most of the time, unless we need the money. They'll go up to the northern pastures when we bring the horses down, stay there for the summer." Esposito took a large gulp from the steaming mug of coffee he retrieved from the fence. Kate had turned on the coffee pot in the tack room before she'd gone to finish getting ready. Unfortunately, she'd conveniently run out of spare mugs for him after Castle had likened it to battery acid when he'd tried a bit of Kevin's and was now left with freezing fingers. The Hispanic man winced as he swallowed, and called out to Beckett, "You make a shit cup of coffee, chica!"

"Nearest Starbucks is an hour away – you'd best get walking." She flung back over her shoulder, her breath smoking in the cool air.

"See, we brought these in while you and Beckett were getting situated," Ryan said, having finished his own swill without comment, "They've been bought by Will Sorenson – he runs the meatpacking company in the city."

"Fifty head of Beckett cattle fetch a pretty penny at the stock yards." Javier said, snorting, "_Especially _Sorenson's stock yard." He winked towards Beckett, who sent him a glare as she rode by, the dark leather of her chaps brushing against the hides of the cattle.

Ryan smirked and called out to Kate, "Tan and white heifer, yellow tag, three o'clock!"

"We have to sort them first though. Pick out the pregnant mothers, the ones that are too scrawny, you know? Separate the wheat from the chaff." Esposito told Castle before he pulled away from the fence.

The author, for his part, became absolutely entranced as the action started. While Javier hung back, Becket trotted into the herd of cattle, beginning to separate the bodies. Rick noticed the tan cow, it's coat speckled with white, a yellow tang hanging from its ear. Judging from the rounded belly, it was a heifer, and it was pregnant. Kate and Denali maneuvered between the animal and its herd, fixating on it. It looked like dancing. They matched the cow move for move, separating it from the rest.

She sat smooth and relaxed, hips rolling with the motion as Denali twisted and ducked under her, pressing the cow towards the back wall. Suddenly, the grey mare rocked back on her haunches and pushed off, coming alongside the heifer at a gallop, sending her towards the chute Kevin sat beside. "Pull!" Kate called, and he yanked on the rope he held between his gloved hands, pulling up the panel and opening the passage as Denali ran the cow right into it, stopping as the rope was released and the gate fell like a guillotine.

Kate looked up at Castle, her breathing only slightly labored. "Still think you can ride, cowboy?" She smirked up at him, cheekily tipping her hat before turning and moving to help Esposito, leaving Rick more than a little flustered as he tried to ignore Kevin snickering beside him.

For the next hour or so, Rick sat watching Kate and Esposito work the cattle, Ryan manning the gate beside him. He was glad when they called it quits just as the clouds began to clear a bit, stating that the herd was ready for Sorenson's truck when it came tomorrow. However much he'd enjoyed seeing Kate handle the animals, the splintery wood of the railing was starting to become uncomfortable. Hopping down, he turned to see Denali staring at him as her rider bent down to latch the gate.

As she straightened, Beckett nodded at Castle, "I have to put her away but you and the boys can head up to the house for some breakfast if you'd like. We'll go over some ground rules, just in case you convince me to let you stay."

Castle put on his most charming smile, "Oh, I'm definitely staying." He assured her, only to be met with her cocky smirk.

"I don't know, Castle." She said as she clucked softly to her horse and walked past him, "You haven't impressed me yet."

Before he could mope about her dismissal, Rick felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder. "Don't worry, man." Esposito said, steering him towards the house as Ryan caught up, "Kate doesn't take to anyone nicely – least of all the likes of you."

"The likes of me?" His brow creased as they climbed the porch and toed off their boots.

"You know, stuck up city slickers like yourself." Ryan quipped, smiling and bowing with fake contempt as he held the door for Rick, who looked quite offended.

"I'm not stuck up!" Castle defended himself vehemently. He scoffed at the very idea. They should see the people he hung around with in New York. Patterson, Connelly, Lehane… He'd just counted three people who were a great deal more arrogant than he was and he hadn't even had to try.

"Dude," Javier shook his head as he pulled out a frying pan from the cupboard, "You're wearing brand new $700 cowboy boots. To a working ranch." Rick looked up at him, stunned, his mouth opening and closing. "Yeah," He continued, nodding at the sleek black alligator skin glistening on the porch outside, "I know my boots."

"I don't think I've ever seen a hat so clean." Ryan added, crossing the room to finger the brim of Castle's hat as it hung on a peg, "It just isn't natural."

Minutes ticked by as Esposito cracked a few eggs and let them sizzle into the pan before adding slices of bacon, turning to look at Rick as he sat dejectedly silent at the small kitchen table.

"Believe it or not, we get all sorts of people through here, Castle. We know how to tell the good ones from the bad." After a pause while he flipped an egg, the cook gestured at the seated man with his spatula, "And you, you aren't so bad."

"But," Ryan sat down beside the now-beaming author, "That doesn't mean you're not stuck up." He grabbed the plate full of eggs and bacon Javier handed him.

"And," Esposito added as he precariously set down three more plates on the table, "It doesn't mean that Kate's going to let you stay."

Rick was about to open his mouth when the sound of the screen door slamming shut reached the kitchen. Beckett appeared a moment later, free of her hat, boots, and jacket, the tip of her nose red from the chill outside. She poured herself a steaming cup of black coffee – the good stuff that Javier made – and sat heavily at the table across from Castle, examining him as she let the warmth from the mug heat her fingers. Under Kate's unwavering gaze, the man began to shift uncomfortably, pausing as he crunched on a piece of bacon to stare right back at her.

"I will have you know, Mr. Castle," She broke the silence, ignoring his smooth 'Please, call me Rick' as she continued, "That I would have sent you packing the moment I saw you if I weren't in such a tight bind." Something about the slightly contemptuous stare Beckett was fixing on him made Castle believe her. "My father is…" She cleared her throat and brushed a stray curl out of her face, "Out of town, and with spring here and summer just around the corner, I don't like the idea of being shorthanded. I'm big enough to admit when I need help –"

"Then let me help you!" Rick chimed in eagerly, turning to look from Ryan to Esposito, who provided him with no support, as they were busy shoveling food into their mouths as they watched the unfolding confrontation with fascination. Looking back to Beckett, he saw that the woman was leveling a venomous glare at him. He sat back and crossed his arms, waiting for her to speak but not apologizing for the interruption. He _did _want to help her, and he knew that his next big story was right in front of him. He just knew.

"That doesn't excuse the fact that as someone inexperienced in, well, everything that we do here, you're going to be more of a hindrance than a help." Kate continued, sipping her black coffee, "If I keep you," Oh, Rick didn't want to think of all the nuances that statement created, "I end up losing money."

"I have money, Beckett." The words had left his mouth before he could stop them, "I'll pay you rent – or whatever – you wouldn't have to lose anything!" The honest desperation with which he said the words did nothing to remove the almost offended look that had appeared on her face.

"I do not run a hotel, Mr. Castle." Her words were clipped and sharp, and if she hadn't been angry before, she certainly was now, "It's not money I need. You can't write me a check and expect me to be satisfied. I run a business, there's still work to be done. I don't need a tenant, what I need is a ranch hand. Understand?"

"I understand." Rick looked dejectedly down at the table, and then back up at Kate, "So, how do I find out when the next train leaves? I don't have any cell service out here and -"

"I never said you had to leave, Castle." Beckett interrupted him, rolling her eyes at the surprised and grateful look on his face, "Not right now, at least. I told you, you have one day to convince me to let you stay. I won't go back on my word." Standing, she took her plate to the sink, the slightly troubled look not leaving her face. As she moved to walk out the door, she called back over her shoulder, "Meet me outside in twenty minutes." With a slam of the screen door, she was gone, and Rick turned to look confusedly at Esposito and Ryan, who had finished eating and were directing quizzical looks at him.

"What did I say to her?" He asked them, and they shook their heads in unison.

"You think flashing your money to Beckett is going to make her roll over and let you do whatever you please?" Ryan asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the chair.

"Beckett's never had a day off work in her life, man. She earns what she gets." Esposito added, cleaning up the dishes and putting them in the sink. Rick, for his part, was looking astonished and properly ashamed.

"Kate doesn't take kindly to people who think they can buy their way through life. Or control what she does using their money." Ryan explained to Castle, moving one hand to gesture towards the porch as he continued, "You saw what happened to Demming earlier, didn't you?"

"I'm nothing like that guy!" Rick protested, frowning, "He's… well, he's something else altogether! I worked hard for my money, it's not like I just won the lottery. I earned it; I should be able to spend it, right? I donate a huge percentage of it to charity and I - "

"We're not saying that you shouldn't spend what you've earned." Kevin proposed, "Hell, we all like spending money – even Beckett. You should see the collection of shoes she's got hidden in her closet. But a place like this, we live modestly. We have to. Granted, the boss is more prejudiced than others when it comes to this, but when we see someone like you saunter up with your new boots and pressed shirt thinking that you're suddenly a part of this," He gestured collectively to the entire ranch, "We don't take kindly to it."

"Not that we don't like you, Castle." Javier added, "I mean, when we came and picked you up, I had my reservations." At the outraged look Rick said, he raised his hands in defense, "We can't help what the media publishes. You ever see what the tabloids write about you?"

"It doesn't paint a pretty picture." Ryan concluded with a shrug, "But in reality, you're not a bad guy, Rick. You're just kind of an asshole."

Well, if anyone had asked him what he expected to get by coming all the way out to middle-of-nowhere Montana, Richard Castle wouldn't have said a reality check from a couple of cowboys. He was about to open his mouth and defend himself, but once he thought about it, he realized that maybe they had been right in their assumptions about him. He did have the tendency to make rash decisions, action first, consequences later and all that. So he hadn't spared a second thought when he called up his stylist – he groaned inwardly about that, as well – and told her to get him outfitted up like all the best cowboys... to go work on a horse ranch in rural Montana.

So he showed up looking like Roy Rodgers, which would have been bad enough. But then he went bragging about his money, about how his books had made millions, as if it were supposed to impress Kate. And of course he had to flirt with her, try to kiss her, like she was supposed to fall all over him as soon as he made a move. To top it all off, he'd tried to pay his way into a place that saw him as a man who relied on his money to get him everything he wanted, only affirming their suspicions.

"Yeah," Rick conceded, "I am kind of an asshole." If he was going to stay, he had to show Beckett he wanted it (a voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he wanted _her _too, but he did his best to ignore it). And if work was what she wanted, then that's what he resolved to do.


End file.
